Page 33 of Falling for the Enemy

“I know a lot of things about you, Amber.”

He got up, and I could see that he had something on his mind. He moved toward me, and I backed up a little bit, scooting over on the bed and asking him twice what he was doing.

“The doctor said that we need to give you a jumpstart to remember. Maybe that's how we have to do it. My stories don’t seem to be doing the trick.”

I asked him what he was talking about, but then I realized, and I started getting nervous. I told him that he was going to get in trouble, and I was going to call the nurse.

“If you are the man I love, then you would be patient.”

He disagreed and told me that it was because he loved me that he couldn't wait any longer. I didn't know what he thought he was doing, it was obvious that he was going to kiss me, but what did he think was actually going to come of it? Did he think that everything was just going to flip back into my mind? That seemed unlikely, just like the whole situation.

I protested against it, but something happened when our lips touched. It was so familiar and exactly what I wanted. I felt like I was floating, that everything was going to be fine. Memories started to come to me and by the time he pulled away, I remembered what I had forgotten, and it was everything.

“Do you remember me now?”

He had a big smile on his face, and I told him that I hadn't. That smile faded at once. “I thought I felt it. I thought that you did too.”

He said that we were just going to have to kiss again, and I did not find the idea too horrible. When I pressed my lips against his, it felt like it always did, it just felt right.

When I pulled back, I couldn’t help the grin on my face. “You were right, you know?”

Frank was confused and asked what I was talking about. “You know, when you said we were going to make babies. You were right.”

He pulled me in and kissed me until I had to remind him where we were.

“Did you remember that I told you I loved you and asked you to marry me?”

That I hadn’t remembered, and I said as much. Everything else was coming back, so why not that?

“Did you really?”

“No, but I should have. I was going to after that wedding.”

“Well, you can now,” I reminded him. And he did too, told me how he cared, loved me, wanted to marry me. He wanted to be a real family and I couldn’t think of anything better. Not one thing.

“Yes.”

He scoffed. “I would have dragged you out of here kicking and screaming if I had to, Amber. I wasn’t just going to let you go.”

“Good.”

Epilogue

Amber

Nine Months Later

Iheld Shirley against me, and I swear that I couldn't stop looking at her, she was just perfect. She had her father's dark eyes and my smile. It was strange to see myself in a baby. It was stranger to feel what happened when I had her. It was like the world stopped for just a moment to recognize what she was to me.

Now, I just couldn't stop looking at her. Frank finally took her from me, commenting that she was asleep. I had known for a while that she was, I also knew that Frank wanted to have a little grown-up time. I just couldn't stop staring at her. She was perfect, I pointed it out to Frank, and he said that he knew. He always knew and put the baby to bed. I thought about everything. My life had changed so much in a year, the one-year stipulation was up on my grandma's house. I never would have imagined that I would actually want to stay, but there was no reason for me to go. Life was perfect here.

When Frank came back in, he had a look on his face, and I knew exactly what he was thinking about. It wasn't hard really, because he was always thinking about it. He was always thinking about needs and desires and the two of us getting together. It was kind of hard to understand sometimes, considering that we'd been with each other so much, but it was like he never got sick of me. When I got big and pregnant, when I didn't even want to be myself, Frank bought me sexy lingerie and made me feel like a beauty queen. He had that way about him, this easy assurance that it was so easy to get wrapped up in. When I was with him, I knew that everything was going to be all right.

Seeing him with Shirley made me realize how great of a father he was. He did so well with her and since the baby had been born, Alice had been over a lot more as well. She was settled more, and her mother was about to get married herself. It would appear as if love was in the air. I knew that it felt that way for me.

It all worked out and I couldn’t help but think that my grandmother was watching from heaven smiling. She would tell me that everything happened for a reason. Now I saw her plan, and it was pretty damn good.

“I feel like you are putting me off, woman.” He growled as he talked, his eyes darkening as they did when he was in need. They were like that a lot lately. That few weeks we had to quit had about killed Frank I think. Ever since then, he had been making up for it every chance we got.

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